Buccaneer (Dane Maddock Adventures) (22 page)

“
It was one of the legends associated with Oak Island, but probably the most far-fetched one of them all.
”
Avery
’
s voice trembled.

“
But why would somebody try to kill us for it?
”
Bones
asked
.
“
I mean, it
’
s a huge discovery, but there
’
s got to be more.
”

Dane withdrew the dagger and held it up to the light. The blade was made of a substance unfamiliar to him. It was mottled gray, its surface covered in a hexagonal grid of alternating light and dark metals. The blade
was
honed to razor sharpness
, and the
butt w
as
translucent, almost black, like obsidian.

As he gazed at it, the handle began to pulse with a dull, bluish white glow that gain strength with every beat.

“
What is it doing?
”
Avery took a step back as if it were a venomous snake.

Dane didn
’
t reply, but removed his hand from the hilt and, carefully holding the knife by the blade, held it up to the light. The pulses came faster, the light more intense until it shone so bright that Dane had to avert his eyes, and a low hum filled the room.

And then it stopped.

The hilt no longer shone, but it glowed a brighter white than before. Pinpoints of light like tiny
galaxies sparkled deep in the handle
and butt, and threads of blue flickered around the hexagonal patterns on the blade.

“
It
’
s like it absorbed energy from the light,
”
Avery said.
“
I
’
ve never seen anything like it.
”

“
We have.
”
Bones grimaced.

Dane examined the dagger closely, carefully running his finger along its length. There was something odd about the way the butt was made. It was concave on the bottom and flattened out so that it did not quite conform to the dimensions of the hilt. Frowning, he pressed his thumb into the recess. Nothing. Then he gave it a twist.

The dagger vibrated and his vision swam for a split second.

“
What the hell?
”
Bones said.

“
Maddock! Where did you go?
”
Avery sounded panicked.

“
I
’
m standing right here.
”

“
No way.
”
Bones reached out awkwardly, as if he were playing Blind Man
’
s Bluff, and grabbed Dane by the forearm.
“
He really is here,
”
he
marveled
.

“
But... how?
”
She gaped at a spot a few inches to Dane
’
s left.

“
What are you two talking about?
”
Dane looked back and forth between the two of them. If it were only Bones, he
’
d figure it was a lame joke, but Avery appeared rattled.

“
Dude, you
’
re invisible.
”
Bones
’
matter of fact tone was
void
of humor.
“
One second you were there and then you were gone.
”

“
It must be the dagger.
”
He explained what he had done, and what he had seen and felt.

“
The stories are true,
”
Avery whispered.
“Legend says Carnwennan
had the power to cloak its owner in shadow. It really does make you invisible.
”

Dane turned the butt back and, once again, the room swam for an instant.

“
He
’
s back!
”
Bones said.
“
Here, let me see that.
”

Dane handed him the dagger and, a moment later, Bones vanished.

“
I don
’
t feel anything,
”
Bones
’
voice said from nowhere.
“
Am I really invisible?
”

“
Yes, but we still recognize your foul stench,
”
Dane deadpanned.

“
Star Wars quotes are my job,
”
Bones said.

Dane stared at the spot where he heard Bones
’
voice. He thought about what Avery had said. Carnwennan
cloaked
its bearer
in shadow
. He wondered...

“
Bones, do me a favor and move side-to-side a little.
”

“
You mean like line dancing? You know I hate anything redneckish.
”

“
Just do it.
”

“
Fine, I
’
ll do the Casper Slide. Ready? To the left!
”
Bones began chanting lyrics and, presumably, dancing.

Dane followed the sound and, sure enough, he saw movement.

“
Avery,
Corey,
can you see it?
”
He drew
them to his side
and pointed.
“
If you really focus, you can tell a difference between the space where Bones is and the wall behind it.
”

Avery narrowed her eyes an
d, a few seconds later, smiled.

“
It
’
s like an imperfect piece of glass. You can see through it, but something
’
s just a little bit off.
”

Bones stopped
chanting
and, an instant later, reappeared.

“
I don’t think
a woman
’
s ever called me imperfect and a little bit off in one breath.
”

“
No one
’
s ever made the mistake of thinking you were only a
little bit
off.
”
Dane relieved his friend of the dagger and held it out so everyone could see it.
“
Look at the pattern on the blade and think about what this dagger does.
”

“
It
’
s a cloaking device!
”
Bones said, following Dane
’
s line of th
ought
almost immediately.
“
This isn
’
t some magic weapon. It
’
s seriously advanced technology.
”

“
Scientist are in the early stages of developing technology that bends light rays, making a particular spot invisible,
”
Dane said, noticing Avery
’
s confused expression.
“
Nobody
’
s achieved anything like this, though.
”

“
But this has clearly been down there for centuries. And if it
’
s really Carnwennan, how did they get their hands on such technology?
”

“
I don
’
t know,
”
Dane said, though he was turning over a myriad of ideas in his mind.
“
But
now we know
why someone would kill in order to get their hands on it.
”

Angel sat perfectly still, her eyes on the widening band of gray light where someone was opening the door to her small room. She was locked in what looked like
a
basement storage room, but she didn
’
t know where. A dark figure loomed in shadow,
and
then a light clicked on. In the instant before she closed her eyes against the sudden glare, she caught a glimpse of a blocky man with red hair.

“
Glad to see you
’
re awake.
”
He smiled.
“
We need to talk.
”

Angel
’
s only reply was to suggest he use an orifice other than his mouth when speaking. She usually liked a guy with a British accent, but not under these circumstances.

“
That won
’
t do.
”
Still smiling, he shook his head, his eyes roving up and down her body.
“
I
’
ll explain.
”
He pulled up a stool and sat down next to her.
“
We want information, and we will have it. If you talk to me, things will go easier for you. If you talk to Locke...
”
He let the words hang there, and gave her a look that told her Locke was the last person she wanted to
deal with
.

“
Where am I?
”

“
We
’
re i
n the museum. Now, tell us what we need to know and we can have you back with your friends in a thrice.
”

“
Right.
”
She didn
’
t believe a word of it.
“
Explain to me why I should believe anything a kidnapper tells me.
”

“
I didn
’
t kidnap you, love. I
’
m merely gathering information.
”
He winked, making her stomach twist. Even if he wasn
’
t her captor he
’
d be creepy. That big, moon face and massive body reminded her of the inbred killers that hacked their way through so many horror flicks.
“
I
’
m not one of the bad ones.
”

“
So, you
’
ll take these off of me,
”
she indicated her handcuffed wrists,
“
and let me go.
”

“
Sure.
”

The reply surprised Angel. She searched his eyes for signs of
deception
.

“
I
’
ll take the cuffs off right now to show you I
’
m a reasonable man
and
,
after you answer my questions, you can walk. Hell, I
’
ll even give you a lift
to the airport
.
”

No way in hell was she getting in a car with this creep, not that she believed for a second that he intended to
release her
, but she played along. If he was willing to uncuff her, that meant he didn
’
t expect a girl of her size to pose any kind of threat. At a good two hundred-fifty pounds, she imagined few women, or men for that matter, were a threat. She
’
d have to be fast and would need a bit of luck on her side, but what did she have to lose? They were going to kill her anyway.

“
Fair enough.
”
She held up her hands, and watched as he fished a key out of his pocket and unlocked one side of the cuffs. The moment he turned his attention to the other cuff, she struck.

She drove her fist
into his Adam
’
s Apple, and he reeled back, gasping and clutching at his throat. Angel sprang to her feet and whipped her left hand around. Still locked onto her left wrist, the handcuffs cracked across the bridge of his nose, sending up a spray of blood that s
pattered across the wall
. She attacked with fury, knowing the blows she had struck were far from incapacitating. She poured all her strength into an overhand right that caught the taller man squarely on the chin, followed it up with a knee to the groin, and pounded away with rapid flurry of punches to the chin, face, and temple. It was like chopping down a tree. He was too stunned by surprise and the force of her blows to do more than throw up his beefy hands in a w
eak attempt to fend off her
attack.